


too close to the fire

by askmyknife



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Anger Born Out Of Worry, Angst with a Happy Ending, Established Relationship, Happy Ending, Light Angst, M/M, Reconciliation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-08
Updated: 2019-11-08
Packaged: 2021-01-25 07:17:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21352360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/askmyknife/pseuds/askmyknife
Summary: “Tony, it isn’t like that--”“No, Peter. It is like that. You’re still acting like a reckless kid, not thinking about the consequences of your actions,” Tony snapped. “Know what, maybe it’s my fault. Everyone said I shouldn’t date someone so young, and I didn’t listen.”Ouch.--n.b. this is a repost from my older archive account. (:
Relationships: Peter Parker/Tony Stark
Comments: 11
Kudos: 273





	too close to the fire

**Author's Note:**

> starting to repost some old works of mine, so here it is! let me know if there is anything any of you wanted to read again from my old things, I'll try to see if I can repost them.

In Peter’s defense, it had been the right, moral thing to do. People were in danger. No, scratch that,  _ a lot  _ of people had been in danger. Children. And honestly, wasn’t saving people what he was supposed to do? So what if sometimes he (gravely) underestimated the danger of the situation? He thought more about the benefits than the costs, especially when the costs were his life. The day before, he hadn’t had  _ time  _ to think about the costs when he heard children screaming in fear when their bus was being thrown off the Brooklyn Bridge. If Peter had not intervened, none of them would have survived that. So, yes, Peter had used all of his strength to try and save them.

On a good day, he would have been able to without having to think about the costs. But that hadn’t been a good day. Peter had already been injured and beaten, and after he had been able to web up the culprits responsible for this whole mess, he had barely any juice left. 

So yes, when he had managed to get the bus back on the bridge, he fell.

Unconscious.

Right in the water. 

And yes, if Tony hadn’t come to save him, he would have died.

All in all, he did understand his boyfriend’s dismay about the whole situation, but it wasn’t like there was anything else Peter could have done, was there? 

“You could have sent a distress signal!” Tony pointed out, nearly shouting. 

“I did!”

Alright, no, he didn’t. Karen did.

Tony gave him a knowing look, crossing his arms over his chest. “Really? You wanna do this now?”

“I was busy, Tony,” Peter defended himself, “saving lives, y’know? The thing we do every day. It turned out fine. I’m alive. Healing. Same thing, different day, right?” 

Tony let out a scoff. “You’re shitting me, Parker.” 

Uh-oh. Parker. This wasn’t good. Tony only reverted back to last names when he was positively pissed with someone. And sure, Peter knew it was anger born out of worry, and he, too, would have been worried should Tony’s life be in danger in any way, but still. Surely, Tony would understand, right? 

Tony carried on. “You’re alive because  _ I _ saved you! You’re alive because  _ I  _ made you that suit, made you Karen, and she sent a distress signal to  _ me  _ because _ I _ was the only one who could possibly save you in time. But if I had not been in the country? Different story, right? You would have drowned at the bottom of the river and I would have come back home to get your lifeless body out of there,” he finished, voice shaking. His brown eyes very much conveyed the same vulnerable, angry expression he had each time Peter did something Tony deemed reckless. 

This time, however, Tony looked even more… distraught. Peter reckoned there had been many other times during which he had almost died and those times should have been far more alarming than what had happened on the Brooklyn Bridge the day before. 

“I wasn’t going to let those children die, Tony,” Peter said calmly. 

“You think this is what I’m mad about?” Tony frowned, “No, Pete. I’m furious because you never think about sending a distress signal when you need it. I don’t know if it’s because you’re too reckless, or because you literally just don’t care about what happens to you. Or both. I’m sick of it, Peter. It’s been years and you haven’t changed in the slightest,” Tony explained, sighing as he ran a hand down his face. “I never know when I’m going to come back to find you dead and then learn that there was another way. Do you care about what happens to me when I find you dead?”

“Tony, it isn’t like that--” 

“No, Peter. It is like that. You’re still acting like a reckless kid, not thinking about the consequences of your actions,” Tony snapped. “Know what, maybe it’s my fault. Everyone said I shouldn’t date someone so young, and I didn’t listen.”

Ouch. 

_ Ouch. _

If there had been one thing Peter could say he had been insecure about when it came to dating Tony Stark, it was his age. He liked to think he made up for that with his intelligence and maturity: after all he had gotten into all the top schools for his University degree. He had graduated with top honours, too. Never had wasted time partying or getting drunk every weekend with other college students (not that Peter even believed he could get drunk with his current physiology). No. Peter had gone to class, aced all of them, including his internships, all the while being Spiderman. 

He had always wanted to be mature enough to be with Tony, even if Peter learned along the way that Tony had his fair share of recklessness and bad habits that put his life in danger.

Hence why it really,  _ really  _ wasn’t fair that Tony was using the age card on Peter, when his arguments could be used against him. 

“Wow,” Peter first said, slightly shaking his head. “Do you hear yourself, Tony?  _ I’m _ acting like a reckless kid? What about you? What kind of grown man spends 72 hours in their lab and doesn’t even listen to their own AI when she tells him that he needs to  _ eat _ ? I’d say that’s pretty reckless. And don’t you dare use the excuse that you’re busy making better suits to protect me or to save more people, because guess what, I’m reckless for the  _ same  _ reason,” Peter snapped, grabbing his jacket. “You know what, maybe you should have listened to  _ everyone _ ,” he responded before storming out, not wanting to hear any more of it. 

Peter didn’t know whether or not Tony went after him, or if he even knew where Peter was going. He had purposely not taken his suit, knowing all too well that there was a tracker on it. He didn’t want Tony to find him. Scratch that, he did want Tony to find him, but not like this. Not because it was easy, or convenient. He wanted Tony to find him because he really wanted to. Because he wanted to make this right. 

Hell, Peter had only reacted to what Tony had said, but he nonetheless felt bad about what he had said, throwing it all in Tony’s face. He should have known better not to, but Tony’s words had hit his core. It was one thing for ‘everyone’ to think Peter was too young for Tony, but it was something else entirely if  _ Tony  _ thought that. 

Why was he with him if he saw him as a reckless kid? Or had he said that because he had been too worried? 

Had he truly meant it?

Peter sat down on the nearest bench he could find when he no longer wanted to walk, burying his head between his hands. What if Tony couldn’t see past his age after all? What if this was how everything was going to end between the two of them?

Part of Peter wanted to rush back to the Stark Tower and apologize, tell Tony he didn’t mean what he said, that he would try to be less reckless, and that he would do everything to try and make this work. Because he loved him. More than anything.

And imagining going back to a life without Tony after all these years was simply too painful. 

The only problem was, Peter wasn’t sure he was ready to face the music yet, and see Tony’s disappointment gaze before he’d tell him it was all over. So, he stayed on his bench, not minding the rain that started drenching him. He knew he was probably going to be cold, but it didn’t matter. At least the rain was hiding his tears, right? 

“Sweetheart.”

Peter’s heart skipped a beat. He recognized that voice, that word, and more importantly, that tone. He looked up at Tony, and the older man didn’t seem angry anymore, just…sad. Peter sniffled, gulping as he watched Tony crouch down, placing a hand on his knee. 

“I’m sorry,” Peter whispered. 

Tony shook his head. “No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have driven you out like that and called you a kid. You’re not a kid, Pete. I didn’t mean it. I was just overwhelmed, because I could have lost you. Again.” Tony extended his free hand to Peter’s cheek, stroking it softly. “I can’t lose you, honey. You’re everything to me.”

Peter placed his hand atop of Tony’s. “So are you,” he confessed, quietly. He took Tony’s hand and pressed a gentle kiss on his knuckles, closing his eyes for a moment. He let out a relieved, shaky sigh, knowing that he wasn’t going to lose him after all.  _ Thank god.  _ “I’ll be more careful. I promise.”

When Peter opened his eyes, Tony was smiling. Peter didn’t hesitate then to lunge forward, throwing himself in Tony’s arms as he pulled him in a strong hold, arms wrapped around his neck.

“I love you,” Peter whispered in Tony’s neck, slightly nuzzling him as he slipped his eyes closed. 

Tony wrapped his arms around him in an embrace that told Peter he didn’t intend on letting him go anytime soon. It told him, too, that it didn’t matter they were in the middle of a busy neighborhood. That it didn’t matter they were already soaking wet. 

They were in each other’s arms, and that was all that mattered. 

“I love you too, sweetheart.”


End file.
